The torched home in the 35000 block of Northwest Mountaindale Road was too heavily damaged for a fire investigator to accurately rule what caused the two-story residence to go up in flames last Wednesday, said Storm Smith, a spokesman for the fire agency. The Washington County Sheriff's Office said the body of Brian R. Olson, 31, was found in the home after the fire was extinguished and a propane torch was found near him.

According to the sheriff's office, Olson shot his girlfriend's adult son, James Crandall, 24, in the abdomen with a rifle after an apparent dispute Wednesday morning. Crandall and his mother, Pamela Crandall, 49, went to their neighbors for help while Olson barricaded himself inside the home where the three of them lived.

Flames were spotted from the home about four hours later, and deputies heard a single gunshot from inside, the sheriff's office said. An autopsy determined Olson died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Firefighters were delayed from battling the blaze until county deputies determined the area was safe for them to work, Smith said.

James Crandall was listed in critical condition at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center on Monday.

Several of Olson's family members declined to comment when contacted by The Oregonian on Monday. Pamela Crandall did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Pamela Crandall wrote on her Facebook page that doctors are hopeful that her son will recover from his gunshot wound. She also shared a photo of Olson on Thursday.